


A Shadow of her Own

by LyrZetara



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Guilt, Lena comforts Scrooge, Life crimes of Scrooge McDuck, Scrooge comforts Lena, Season 3 episode 21, Set after the life crimes of Scrooge McDuck, burden, don't own the rights, heart to heart, it wasn't a great episode, so let's save what matters!, spoilers for the episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29936625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyrZetara/pseuds/LyrZetara
Summary: After Lena hears the truth about Poe, Scrooge goes to talk to her as both come to realize how much hurt and resentment has been bottled up over the feud between the McDuck and De Spell.Bit of a spoiler for the episode "The life and crimes of Scrooge McDuck"
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	A Shadow of her Own

**Author's Note:**

> Quick story based on the last ep. of Ducktales.  
> Enjoy!

Lena gazed at the sunset from the balcony of the manor. She carefully positioned herself so that her shadow wouldn't be cast next to her and so, she hoped to have an evening of solitude to reflect on the newfound information.

The birds were singing as they rushed from one side to another ready to retrieve into the trees. That's when she gazed at a dark feathered specimen that flew past her cawing loudly.

"Oi! Go away, you filthy creature!" Scrooge McDuck yelled as he waved his cane violently at the raven. The last thing he needed was the omen of its presence. Scrooge offered a sheepish smile walking next to Lena.

The teen barely looked at him to acknowledge his presence, she much rather have him leave.

"So...you know, ei?" he asked softly.

"Louie kinda mentioned it" she shrugged it off. In reality, the green triplet had looked quite upset when he asked to meet her, after he got out of his chest the truth about the only other individual to carry the 'De Spell' name, he seemed rather remorseful. When the best schemer in the game looks that troubled you know you are in for a deep conversation with the Richest Duck in the world and apparently the partially responsible party of the ordeal.

"I'm...I'm sorr-"

"Don't" she cut him off "What do I know of the guy? If he was anything like my aunt then you did me a solid" she folded her arms defensively avoiding his gaze.

Scrooge averted his eyes to his hands, fumbling with the cane "I always knew I had done some terrible things in my past but I never dared admit the outcome of them" he mumbled "I've been wondering for a while about him and you, you know?"

Lena's head snapped up looking at him quizzically and perhaps hurt "I remind you of him?"

"No, no" he tried to assure her, patting her shoulder "But, part of me wondered if when Magica created you-"

"That was to get back at you" Lena cut him short, she hated the burden of having to exist just to settle a feud.

"But if the reason you were allowed to call her aunt was because of the yearn of a family"

Lena didn't like the way those words weighted on her chest, the way it made it tighten "I'm the one that started calling her that, she just gave up and let me for the sake of keeping me under control after I became sentient"

"Perhaps but, what I mean is that...Magica fused his amulet into her own and the magic of both is what created you, so..."

"So maybe it was a reminiscent of Poe trying to connect with her?"Lena arched a brow, she looked positively outraged and equally hurt "So the amulet that kept me alive for so long and she so desperately wanted back was Magica's last reminder of him?" she challenged bitterly.

Scrooge saw pain shimmering in her eyes "Mah, don't pay me much mind, I'm just an old man saying nonsense" he said trying to amend the wound his words inflicted. He gazed down letting a silence fill in the disastrous conversation.

A soft breeze passed by them carrying the faint voice that spoke up "Did you...ever tried to look for him?"

If shame had ever settled into Scrooge's features, it was right then"No"

Lena folded her arms once more and leaned into the rail.

"Do you want me to, Lass?" he asked quietly.

"Why in the world would I care?" she huffed, shrugging into herself.

"I don't know" he mumbled "he's-"

"He is nothing to me" she deadpanned "yeah, maybe if he had been here I would have called him uncle in this twisted scheme to place revenge over you, or maybe if he had stuck around, Magica would have defeated you, maybe I wouldn't have been created!"

"Maybe..." Scrooge's voice became weak "...she wouldn't have been so awful to you if I hadn't taken away something so precious as family. Maybe she sheltered her heart from that and couldn't bear to welcome you into her heart to-"

"Stop it already!" Lena screamed, tears running down her face as she pushed him away "you don't get to tell me that maybe if things had been different she could have loved me or cared for me or even bear the idea of having me around! You don't know what she was like for me! And Poe or not Poe, I highly doubt she would ever give me the time of day to be nice or at least say one good thing about me! I was her magical failure because -oh so impulsive Magica- did a last desperate attempt at revenge! So here I am! The aftermath of one terrible decision after another. And yeah, who knows?! Maybe if rational centered Poe De Spell had been around she wouldn't have made such a disgraceful last resort, but we are stuck with my existence, aren't we?!" Lena felt the heavy breathing shake her body, she wasn't even sure she needed to breathe, or if she even had any blood in her, but something was definitely boiling in her insides.

After the initial shock wore off, she came to realize she just had openly yelled at the Scrooge McDuck. The legend, the adventurer, the Richest Duck in the World. She- a literal nobody- just a shadow. She embraced herself for whatever the old duck might say next, but what she didn't expect was to feel his arms wrapped around her in a warm embrace or the words he spoke next.

"I'm sorry, Lena"

The witch froze, her body stiff and still under his arms.

"Please, forgive me" he was crying, she could feel the trembling and the way his voice quivered "It is all my fault"

Lena slowly willed her body to move again, awkwardly patting his back "It's fine, he probably-"

"No" he shook his head "It's because of me and my stupid pride that you are here" he sniffed "I made my enemies and never stopped to see what my enemies would do. If I hadn't pushed Magica down the path she walked, if I hadn't boasted about my self-glory and had made peace with all of it, she wouldn't have the need to make you. You came to this earth just to see my demise and I even had the guts to call you a wee tenebrious traitor, when you never asked to be made, to become sentient, or to suffer under Magica's wrath. All that anger and all the hurt were aimed at me and still, she took it all out on you. You are just a little lass" he held her tighter.

Lena didn't notice her own tears until they were wildly running down her chin, dripping over the emblematic red coat. No one had ever offered her an apology. She was always the one having to earn back trust and put on a brave face to show she was part of the good guys. She had battled against herself and her creator but never once thought the reason of her existence would take responsibility too.

Her arms moved without her realizing it, embracing him as well, wholeheartedly "Thank you, Scrooge" her voice drowned on his robe, but he heard her, and those words reached deep into his heart.

Lena had been resentful of Scrooge in the past, she had hated him with almost the same burning passion as Magica, but he never once treated her unkindly, and even when they were both trapped, he had tried to protect her against the evil sorcerer "Thank you for all you have given me" she continued "you gave me back your trust, you let me in again to be with the triplets and Webby" she wiped her eyes with her striped sweater "If I hadn't been created I would have missed on a lot of things, I wouldn't take it back, not the good or the bad" she offered a small smile, but a genuine one nonetheless "And as many have told me, Magica forged her own path, it's not on you and it's not on me. Whatever it comes to be of her, it's not our fault"

Scrooge was shortly aback by the wisdom and maturity in her tone. She never had the chance to be a kid, but she grew to become someone worthy of his admiration "You are one of the strongest people I know, lass" he let go, looking directly into her eyes.

"You are not so bad yourself, money bags" she smirked back.

He chuckled, there it was, a bit of fierceness to remind him she was still a teen, in a way. He threw an arm around her shoulders "How about I make us something to drink?"

Lena saw the hand that gently laid over her shoulder, it was warm and welcoming and kind "Sounds good"

They walked back into the manor as birds flew through the sky.

Maybe Poe was still out there, maybe he could have made a difference, but maybe, in the end, it didn't matter.


End file.
